Mountain Lookouts, Balconies, and the View I Keep Trying to Hold Onto
A birthday hike, a two-month writing hiatus, and a leadership lesson I still haven't mastered (~5 minute read)
The Better (Political) Leadership Substack
A space where personal stories, neuroscience, and real-world lessons meet. Inspired by the extraordinary leaders I encounter across the globe.
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I Was the Statue of Liberty. I've Been Reading Parades Ever Since.
The United States turns 250 this weekend. Here's why I'll be reading the country's health from a lawn chair, and how you can read your own street, wherever in the world you are (6-minute read)
Beyond the Bleachers: The World Cup, the Knicks, and the Craft of Civic Leadership
Sport builds belonging almost by accident. Here is a close read of NYC Mayor Mamdani's speech (like him or not) at the NBA Champions ceremony—a master class in civic leadership (7 minutes read)
We Ask More of Politicians Than Ever. We Don’t Prepare Them For It.
What a new study of first-year Bundestag members reveals, and why it’s not just a German story. (7-minute read)
This Is Your Brain on Power
Why every good (political) leader may be one shipwreck away from becoming the thing they replaced (6-minute read)
Should We Stop Developing Political Leaders Just Because Some Might Become 'Anti-Democratic'?
The data, logic, and evidence all say no. In fact, the question itself highlights the core problem. (7-minute read)
What a Mouse in the Dark Woods Can Teach Us About (Political) Leadership
A few weeks ago in Lucerne, I was asked to bring my favorite children's book to a dinner. I brought The Gruffalo. Here's why. (5-minute read)
Tend the Soil, Don’t Just Curse the Weeds
Your cynicism about politicians isn’t insight. It’s the single most effective way to keep good people out of politics. A field experiment in Pakistan proved it. (8-minute read)
Under the Acropolis, We Said "Yum" and Swayed Our Arms
5 Practices for Leaders and Lawmakers Who Want More Awe and Less Outrage (7 minute read)
The Geese Don’t Need These 6 Questions. You Do.
Most leaders are fluent in why and what. Almost none are fluent in how. That’s the elbow grease gap — and it’s costing us a lot. (13 minute read)
What If Two People Could Share One Political Role? It’s Time We Found Out.
The political job is broken by design. Job-sharing isn’t a radical idea — it’s an obvious one. Here’s the evidence. (8 minute read)
A Florence weekend, the monks' cells, and Rothko
On presence, representation, and what leaders shouldn’t fake (5 minute read)
What does a fractured world actually need from its leaders?
There’s a bear in the air traffic control tower. The people whose job it is to respond were never trained for this. (6 minute read)
Snow Shoveling, the Big Apple, and the Politics of Beating Expectations
What a week in New York with my 17-year-old son, Otto, revealed about stability, evidence, and why citizens revise their priors (6 minute read).
The Hot Flash of Clarity
Four (political) leadership lessons — from the transition no one talks about (6 minute read)
Why We Mistake Certainty for Good (Political) Leadership
The danger of rewarding confidence before competence in politics — and what leaders can do differently (9 minute read)
I Rejected the Truth Bracelet. Wales Took Lying Seriously.
One bad date, one new law, and one big question: how much lying should we accept from people who want power? (4 minute read)
A Short Film With a Big Clue About How Politics Could Work Better
What Stockholm, Bologna, and Poznań reveal about a quieter shift in political leadership: from delivering for citizens, to inviting them into the work of governing. (7 minute read)
What Happens When a Midwife Walks Into Politics
Ruth Forrest shows why outcome-driven healthcare leaders may be exactly what polarized politics needs (5 min. read)
Dalio’s Civility Warning, from the World Governments Summit
Why Civility Is a Powerful Skill for Political Leaders (6 min. read)